-Kap-
Rookie
Almost. My new string just arrived on Friday, and I'm looking to get out there and drop a few body fat percentage points, myself!
Ideal Body Fat % for tournament players.
- Thread starter J011yroger
- Start date
Almost. My new string just arrived on Friday, and I'm looking to get out there and drop a few body fat percentage points, myself!
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
Almost. My new string just arrived on Friday, and I'm looking to get out there and drop a few body fat percentage points, myself!
Sounds good, 2 more weeks and we will be outdoors again!
We will have your hands calloused up and your body slimmed down.
J
stormholloway
Legend
Your pants won't work over there. You need to get your pants converted.
FedererISBetter
Rookie
I am at 8% bodyfat ( still at the process of gaining more mass )... trying to be a little more than just cut..
5'7 low 150s...
I'm a serious tournment player who tries to play as many as I can while still playing for team.
5'7 low 150s...
I'm a serious tournment player who tries to play as many as I can while still playing for team.
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
Rickson
G.O.A.T.
Who measured your bodyfat? The bodyfat fairy? There is no way you can get a 2% reading on any caliper except by an exceptionally incompetent measurer. I'm not saying that you can not be 2% (although it's unlikely), I'm just saying that 2% is not an accurate measurement. If you truly are 2%, you can only find out from being weighed underwater and even then, it won't be completely accurate. You absolutely can not claim 2% bodyfat from any reading other than an underwater dunk.
Rickson
G.O.A.T.
This thread is eerily similar to the:
-Mile time thread
-How much can you benchpress thread.
Everybody is ripped and has body % fat less than 10%.
The last time I checked, I was just below 1% bodyfat. I sure hope those calipers are accurate!
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
This thread is eerily similar to the:
-Mile time thread
-How much can you benchpress thread.
Everybody is ripped and has body % fat less than 10%.
I thought it was like the rest of my threads where I post pictures/video/radar/objective factual results.
For the record I just benched 105 for 3 sets of 10.
Herculean strength, I know. I swear I am not doping
J
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
Friendly bump to see if I can get some others to chime in.
J
J
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
^^^ 105 for 3 sets of 10? Have you been training long?
Probably doesn't really matter for tennis. Core strength is
more important.
Anything around 8-10% is probably good enough.
I think you just want to be at a weight where
you can run around for a long time without extra weight
causing you joint pain or excessively tiring you out should
you have to play multiple matches in a several days and/or
two in one day.
Probably doesn't really matter for tennis. Core strength is
more important.
Anything around 8-10% is probably good enough.
I think you just want to be at a weight where
you can run around for a long time without extra weight
causing you joint pain or excessively tiring you out should
you have to play multiple matches in a several days and/or
two in one day.
Murray_Maniac
Banned
On Andymurray.com, It mentioned that he had the lowest % of body fat at Queens, 11%.
i am at 12%, which is pretty good. i am actually trying to put on some lbs (or at least a little mass) because i am pretty thin/lean. i don't think you would need to go any lower than 10% to be in darn good shape for tournies. if you are around 12-15% i don't think you would have any problems.
to be any lower than that but still have some muscle would probably take more training and weight room work than most tennis players would want to put in. it would also take a pretty strict diet. if you are more concerned about your tennis game than your physique then i think it is better to put more work in on the court than in the gym.
to be any lower than that but still have some muscle would probably take more training and weight room work than most tennis players would want to put in. it would also take a pretty strict diet. if you are more concerned about your tennis game than your physique then i think it is better to put more work in on the court than in the gym.
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
i dont think people realize how ridiculously low 6% is. unless you have a huge amount of muscle you A. will have an almost impossible time getting that low and B) will look disgustingly think when you do
Duzza
Legend
There's your biggest problem. How do you live with yourself!!
BallzofSkill
Semi-Pro
guys who are saying they're 3% or 4% hopefully had it done professionally cause 3% is what Olympians are on their competition day when they've restricted all liquids. Basically, they can only stay at 3% for a very limited time.
most athletes are probably between 8-12%.
most athletes are probably between 8-12%.
Aeropro master
Professional
i'm 4 % body fat (confirmed by a trainer) and my parents don't let me lift. I just make sure i eat healthy and work my butt off on the court.
Steady Eddy
Legend
When I was seeing a personal trainer at the gym, he said that my goal should be to get under 15% body fat. I finally got down to 13%. I don't know what it is now. I'd hate to find out.
I'm really surprised at the low numbers you guys are talking. Also, women's numbers will be alot higher.
I'm really surprised at the low numbers you guys are talking. Also, women's numbers will be alot higher.
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
i do believe you, but 4% is basically impossible to maintain for any amount of time. unless you used underwater or DEXA equipment, you cant be sure.
why dont your parents let you lift? with proper form and no pre-existing injuries, you really shouldnt be able to hurt yourself and you would benefit immensely.
D
Deleted member 23235
Guest
Not sure what the ideal is, but I'm at ~16%, and my target goal is ~9%, which translates to ~15-20lbs to lose.
Aeropro master
Professional
they think it will stop growth, they want me to wait until i'm 16!!!
bertiefactor
Rookie
i recently a did a appraisal consisting of body measurements and fitness test.
my current weight is 75kgs with body % of 10%.i regard myself as skinny although i have a balance between protein and carb diet-steaks,chicken, bulk pasta etc + a moderate amount of fatty foods-addicted to pizza.
i find it extremely differcult to gain weight
my current weight is 75kgs with body % of 10%.i regard myself as skinny although i have a balance between protein and carb diet-steaks,chicken, bulk pasta etc + a moderate amount of fatty foods-addicted to pizza.
i find it extremely differcult to gain weight
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
oh then thats fine, you can still do bodyweight stuff though if you want, but listen to your parents
i had to wait a while til i could lift and play football too (til high school). i am actually pretty glad. just do what you can in you room. push ups, crunches, calf raises, pull ups, and anything else you can do. you will probably have a hard time putting on weight for some time (i couldn't put on a lb in high school no matter how hard i tried, and no matter what i ate!). enjoy it while you can...
Aeropro master
Professional
yeah, thats what i do. i do about 200-300 crunches a day and push ups every once in a while.
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
the only reason someone doesnt gain weight is not eating enough, thats it, there arent any others..
do you know what "eating enough" for a high school football, basketball and baseball player means? i was burning so many calories i would have had to eat about 6 huge meals a day and a few protein shakes just to gain a few lbs. a 15 year old kid stomach can only handle so much food. with a fast metabolism and a ton of daily activity it was tough for me to put on any major poundage. sure it seems easy enough to just "eat more" but at some point it isn't really possible to eat anymore. i wasn't willing to devote my free time to constantly stuffing myself beyond a reasonable amount.
superman1
Legend
It's not hard at all to gain weight, I don't care who you are. The Rippetoes shortcut approach to gaining weight is to just drink a gallon of milk a day along with your other meals. It's incredibly easy to eat something that isn't that filling but gives you 1,000 calories. Just go to Baskin Robbins.
That's a problem I would love to have. How I wish I could eat whatever I want.
That's a problem I would love to have. How I wish I could eat whatever I want.
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
football and the others are different seasons. plenty of football players manage to put on weight. i was a high school tennis player and did it while playing rec basketball at the same time.
im sure it is possible to put on weight. but we aren't really talking about just flat out gaining weight are we? i thought we were talking about gaining weight while not hindering our athletics. so as a football, basketball and baseball player i wouldn't be willing to put on 15 lbs just to put it on, but still want to be as cut and fit as possible. sure o line men can put on lbs no prob, but they aren't as concerned about being agile. i don't really think that just going to baskin robins 3 times a day is the answer either.
as far as the three different sports, i never had an off season to simply put on mad mass. i was always in season, which means i constantly had to be in the best shape i could be in. i don't know if you guy's have ever played football or sports year around because it sounds like you might not really know how hard it could be to put on the lbs for a young kid who is burning thousands of calories a day.
Il Mostro
Banned
For tennis you want to be fit, but not drop to *extremely* low body fat percentages. Back when I was a competitive cyclist I found that when I dropped too low (6% or less) it wasn't good for my performance or health. The simple reason is our first source of energy is muscle glycogen, when we "bonk" we have depleted this source and are now using equal ratios of fat + muscle as a fuel source. So, some reserve of fat is always necessary under extreme exertion. This is the principle behind eating and taking energy drinks while on the bike, as we try to replenish our glycogen stores. But under extreme exertion, it is impossible to replenish quickly enough so it is inevitable that fat will at some point need to be used as a partial energy source.
There is a fine line between fit and healthy. Look at the marathon runners... they burn so many calories that it is impossible to balance intake versus what they burn in training. Do any of these guys look healthy and strong to you?
The other *huge* difference between tennis and sports like cycling and running is that in those sports, people train and *peak* for specific events and times of the season (also types of events in cyling -- i.e. stage races versus criteriums at extreme ends of the spectrum). There is also a significant off-season for recovery, strength training, etc. As a tennis player, I want to be able to maintain my health, strength and endurance year round. I do not want the cycles that are in the other sports.
So these extreme examples of low body fat are not a good model and will not help your game and are very likely to impair your health. Moderation in all things, right?
There is a fine line between fit and healthy. Look at the marathon runners... they burn so many calories that it is impossible to balance intake versus what they burn in training. Do any of these guys look healthy and strong to you?
The other *huge* difference between tennis and sports like cycling and running is that in those sports, people train and *peak* for specific events and times of the season (also types of events in cyling -- i.e. stage races versus criteriums at extreme ends of the spectrum). There is also a significant off-season for recovery, strength training, etc. As a tennis player, I want to be able to maintain my health, strength and endurance year round. I do not want the cycles that are in the other sports.
So these extreme examples of low body fat are not a good model and will not help your game and are very likely to impair your health. Moderation in all things, right?
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
^^^ That is exactly what I was after, how low is too low.
So if I hover around 10% give or take a bit depending on the week then I shouldn't be in any kind of problem right?
J
So if I hover around 10% give or take a bit depending on the week then I shouldn't be in any kind of problem right?
J
Il Mostro
Banned
That's how I feel it is for me. Look, the differences between 8% and 10%, or 10% and 12% are negligible in the real world. And, those are *still* very lean percentages. We need to have strength, endurance and just feel good. It's OK to go up and down a little from what you feel your peak, real-world condition is. We're not *peaking* or leaning-out for a body building competition. We've got enough to worry about with our game
Aeropro master
Professional
Jeez. I guess i need to start putting on some weight. People always tell me that i'm too thin but i never listen to them. now, i'll actually try to eat more and lift some.
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
baseball players weigh plenty, and im sure basketball players would rather be bigger than the opposition rather than smaller, skinny guys get pushed around.
do you know what you are actually at? 10% is still very lean, and would take a lot of work to stay there. are you really that close to dropping below 10%?
Forehand_Punisher
Rookie
I call BS.
Il Mostro
Banned
Co-sign. Maybe the decimal point is in the wrong place. ;-)
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
x2 you would be in a hospital clinging to life
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
No, I don't know exactly where I am, I have heard that the caliper method is unreliable, and lets just say that the prospect of underwater weighing doesn't make me all tingly inside.
At my leanest, which was just before I started playing tennis again, I was 6'3" 155lbs, it was impossible to pinch skin on my tricep, and had absolutely no abdominal fat, with prominent vascularity in the abdomen.
I ate almost zero flour products, only lean meats, fruits, veggies, eggs, and so forth. Not even many nuts. I was eating an obcene amount of protein.
I stopped lifting when I started playing tennis again seriously, and just focused on my game.
Now I have been working with a trainer since december, I am around 165-170, with more muscle mass, and more fat than when I was at my leanest.
Now I eat much more carbs to fuel my on court efforts, but I also spend a great deal of time on and off court training, so I burn tons of calories, way more than I did when my diet didn't feature the carbs.
I could pretty easily drop down to 160 which right now is what I think would be perfect shape for my current muscle mass, but I don't want to sabotage my efforts in the gym, and hurt my ability to get stronger. Which is why I was asking.
J
TonLars
Professional
I did underwater weighing at my university about 2 years ago and was measured at 7-8%
From what I remember of my Exercise Physiology class, below 4% is extremely unhealthy, and you need at least that much or more to maintain yourself. I remember in the past hearing stories how such and such athlete was measured at 0% body fat or something to that effect and that is obviously garbage.
From what I remember of my Exercise Physiology class, below 4% is extremely unhealthy, and you need at least that much or more to maintain yourself. I remember in the past hearing stories how such and such athlete was measured at 0% body fat or something to that effect and that is obviously garbage.
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
I am of the opinion that the newer scales that measure body fat are complete garbage.
You need to enter your height, and they are not accurate for athletes or people with lots of muscle.
Total B.S. if the thing worked, it would work, and it would know how much fat you had. You wouldn't have less if you entered that you were taller, and it wouldn't be inaccurate if you were an athlete and had less fat than its pre programed graph.
J
wow, i thought i was thin! 6'3 and 155 sounds too skinny. sounds like you are on a great diet (i have been trying to up my calories too because i burn so many between lifting and playing sports). i have put on some muscle too, which i can really feel helping me on the court. i wouldn't cut any if you are starting to play some serious tennis. sounds like you are doing plenty or lifting and have a great diet, and you still sound on the skinny side... so i don't see any reason to drop any lower. can you feel the extra muscle helping on court?
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
I don't think I hit or serve any harder, but I definately hit the ball cleaner, and move better. I am able to get to more balls, and be in better position when I do get to them.
It was very difficult for me to play when I started the workout program because by the time I got to the courts I would have no legs left, and net lots of balls, and my arm would give out serving. Now it is much better. Tough to tell exactly the difference, but for sure it has helped.
Really hard to tell, because the change is gradual, but people are starting to comment on my quickness, which was never something I heard before. Tough to tell if my ballstriking and serving improvement is more due to technique improvements, or as a result of training, but for sure both help.
I hope to have a better handle on what I have accomplished by the end of the year.
J
^ yeah, i actually don't feel it as far as power goes. i probably don't hit it any harder than i used to, but i feel much more in control. i don't think big muscles really have much to do with hitting the ball hard (techinique is much more important). i can hit more difficult shots (like a forehand on the run or a tough overhead or something) and i can feel my added strength helping me hit the shot. i also notice in a long rally that i have more power and my arm, legs, core don't feel as tired. and of course being able to move quicker and have more powerful legs never hurts.
